1. The Drop Show

Oh the big soft pillowed drop shadow.   They give such height and dimension to our words almost magically levitating letters and images off of the page.  While they were a cool design element not too long ago, today they look illegible, forced and dated.

Instead, let us focus on a more controlled, clean shadow that only lends an accent to lettering or even images.  In the example below, not only is the wording more prestine but also legible and polished.

Having a negative design trend can have a damaging effect on your viewer and paying attention to details can have a lasting impression.

2. Glossy and Shiny Buttons.

A glossy button is the false separation that splits a button into a top and bottom section effectively displaying a pronounced 3D texture.  The glossy buttons are extensively used on websites / design layouts as a call to action and while they are not entirely fazed out, they are tired and somewhat overdone.

Instead, I prefer a button that is clean and cohesive in appearance.  In the sample below, you will see how the gloss and non gloss versions of the button differ in user experience.

While both are still applicable, the trend towards the cleaner non gloss button is the approach to pursue in website and graphic design.

3. Shiny and glossy logos

Glossy logos are just that.  Shiny.  If you take the time and energy to create a timeless logo for yourself why add excess and ruin your mark.

You want to keep your logo for quite some time and it should not be recognized for how bright and lustrous it appears on your website.  Good branding will keep your logo consistent throughout the life cycle of the design and will not be a fancy trend.

Do not risk the having your logo fall behind the times and keep it as close to the original as possible.